While the flying adults are just plain annoying, it’s the larvae which live in the potting mix that can be doing some serious harm to your plants.

The adult flies lay their eggs into the potting mix and the teenie tiny, larvae hatch out and feed on organic matter including plant roots and soft tender stems. This can cause wilting and slow the growth rate of your plants right down.

But there are 3 simple ways to get rid your fungus gnat problems!

Number 1 – DO NOT overwater your plants. Fungus gnats love wet potting mix and outbreaks most often occur when the soil isn’t allowed to dry out between waterings. The eggs and larvae need continuous moisture to survive, so allowing the soil to dry out before you wanter can help break the lifecycle.

Number 2 – Kill the larvae in the potting mix using a soil drench of eco-neem. This is really easy to do – simply mix up the right dilution in large bucket. Then take each of your plants and allow them to soak in the mix until the air bubbles have stopped. Let them drain outside in the shade, before bringing them back inside. You’ll need to repeat this soil drench in 7 days because the flying adults can live for a week or more.

Number 3 – Do NOT allow water to pool around the roots of your plants. So tip out excess water that may gather in cover pots or saucers after watering. Leaving it will just encourage algae to grow, which the fungus gnats will just feed on!

So don’t let fungus gnats invade your indoor plant jungle and remember….there is anyways room for one more plant!

Growing seeds is quick and easy thanks to Jiffy Pots!

Ever wondered how to get your seeds off to best start in your garden? Grow them in Jiffy Pots! In this video Melissa has all the tips and tricks to get you growing with Jiffy Pots by Mr Fothergills and sowing some seeds today.

Chloe explains how to tell if your soil has a clay content and then how to garden successfully in it! In this video – Chloe gives you the low down on a clay soil and some handy hints on how to garden in it. Lots of compost and eco-flo gypsum are her favourite things to use in a clay soil. To purchase eco-flo gypsum visit: https://ecoorganicgarden.com.au/

Using the lasagne layering technique to fill raised vegetable beds is easy, cheaper and faster than shoveling piles of dirt!

Chloe’s using some Birdies Veggie Grow Crates to create some instant veggie gardens in her backyard. The best way to fill these ready for planting up is using the lasagne or layering technique – this also means you can create raised vegetable gardens quickly, easily and very little soil. You’ll need: – straw – lucerne straw – veggie soil mix – cow manure – pelletised chicken manure – eco-aminogro & eco-flo dolomite.

NOTE – these Veggie Grow Crates – do actually come with a false bottom that can reduce the dept of the bed to approx 30 centimetres. So if you want to get the crates and JUST fill them with veggie soil mix (eg. not do the lasagne layinering technique) then go with this option.